The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria is the highest authority in the Church of Alexandria (Coptic) and it formulates the rules and regulations regarding matters of church's organisation, faith, service's order.

The Synod is chaired by the Coptic (Oriental) Patriarch of Alexandria and the members are the Church's Metropolitans, Bishops, Chorbishops and the Patriarchal Vicar for Alexandria.

Seniority in the Synod

According to the Coptic Orthodox Church Traditions the Coptic Pope, being Coptic Bishop of Alexandria and being the Senior and Elder Bishop and the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province and Primate of All Egypt, is the head of the Synod as a first among equals. The most senior position after the Pope was the Metropolitan of Pentapolis, but since its demise as a major Archiepiscopal Metropolis and now being held as a Titular See attached to another diocese.

There is a special status of seniority of honor for the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Holy and Great City of Our Lord, Jerusalem, Holy Zion, Archbishop of the Holy Archdiocese of Jerusalem, All Palestine, Philadelphia of Jordan and All the Near East.

This great archdiocesan Metropolis is technically outside the Egyptian Province and was not originally counted within the jurisdiction of the Pope of Alexandria and it was created by Pope Cyril III (1235-1243) in the thirteenth century, which, at that time, had caused a dispute between the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch.[1]. This was a very rare incident between the two sister churches as in general their relationship is one of the strongest between any two sister churches. [2] .

It is important to note that the Coptic Orthodox Metropolitan of Jerusalem is the only Coptic Orthodox Metropolitan who is consecrated as a Metropolitan Archbishop without being consecrated a bishop first then elevated to the Metropolitan rank later as is the norm in all episcopal consecration according to the tradition of the Church of Alexandria. This has been the case since Cyril III consecrated Metropolitan Basilius as the first Coptic Orthodox Metropolitan of Jerusalem and All the Near East.

Currently, and because of the fact that the seniority of the members is decided according to ranking rules depending on the rank in the Church (Metropolitans first, then Bishops (and Exarchs of the Throne), then Auxiliary Bishops, then General Bishops, then Chorbishops and according to the date of consecration, the most senior position after the Pope is the oldest consecrated Metropolitan of the Throne, who is now the Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Asyut (Lycopolis), (Hieracon) and (Apollonopolis Parva) (Consecrated in 1946).

Apart from the fact that, as in ancient tradition, after the Senior Hierarch of Pentapolis, came the hierarch of the Metropolis of (Lycopolis), (Hieracon) and (Apollonopolis Parva (Hypselis)|Apollonopolis Parva), which is Asyut.

It is to be noted that the most senior metropolitan in consecration is the candidate to become the Locum tenens in case of the death of the Pope until the election of the new Pope, and will be the one who enthrones the newly elected Pope along with the entire body of the Holy Synod.

This seniority ranking system does not diminish the importance and the greatness of the Metropolis of Jerusalem and All the Near East. It is to be noted that the archiepiscopal status of this great metropolis is given due to the Holy Apostolic Throne that it represent, being the Apostolic Throne of Jerusalem, although its Metropolitan Archbishop does not claim that title and is under the jurisdiction of the Throne of Alexandria.

Metropolitans of the Throne

2) His Eminence Mikhail (Michael), Elder Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Asyut (Lycopolis), (Hieracon) and (Apollonopolis Parva) and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great, in Scetes, Lower Egypt.

3) His Eminence Abraham, Metropolitan of the Holy and Great City of Our Lord, Jerusalem, Holy Zion, Archbishop of the Holy Archdiocese of Jerusalem, All Palestine, Philadelphia of Jordan and All the Near East.

40) His Grace Cheroubim (Cherubim), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Qina, Qift (Coptos) and their jurisdictions.

41) His Grace Pimen, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Naqada and Qous (Apollonopolis Parva).

42) His Grace Takla, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Dishna and Dendera (Tentyra) and its jurisdictions.

43) His Grace Macarius, Bishop of the Eritrean Church in the USA. Member of the Eritrean Holy Synod.

44) His Grace Markos (Mark), Bishop of the Eritrean Church in the UK. Member of the Eritrean Holy Synod.

45) His Grace Theophilus, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Hurghada, Kosseir and All the Red Sea (Apollonopolis), (Arsinoe), (Myos Hormos), (Philoteras) and (Berenice).

46) His Grace Maximus, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Banha (Leontopolis) and Quouwaysena (Athribis).

47) His Grace Sarapamon (Serapis Amon), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Atbara, Um Durman and All the North of the Sudan and Titular Bishop of the Great and Ancient Metropolis of Nubia: (Faras) of (Nobatia), (Dongola) of (Makuria) and (Soba) of (Alodia).

48) His Grace Antony, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Ireland, Scotland and North East England, United Kingdom.

49) His Grace Damian, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Höxter-Brenkenhausen, Kroeffelbach and All Germany and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great in Kroeffelbach, Germany.

50) His Grace Youssef (Joseph), Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Southern United States and Abbot of the Monastery of Most Holy Virgin Mary & Saint Moses the Strong in Corpus Christi, Texas.

51) His Grace Barnaba, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Torino and Southern Italy.

52) His Grace Suriel, Bishop of the Holy Diocese of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Western Australia, New Zealand and All Oceania.

74) His Grace Martyrus, Auxiliary Bishop for East of the Railroad District in Cairo, Assistant to His Holiness the Pope.

75) His Grace Macarius, Auxiliary Bishop for the Holy Metropolis of Al Minya, (Theodosiopolis) and Abou Qurqas, Assistant to His Eminence Arsenius.

Exarchs of the Throne

76) His Grace Antonius Markos (Anthony Mark), General Bishop for African Affairs and Patriarchal Exarch in West and South Africa.

77) His Grace Youhanna (John), General Bishop and Patriarchal Exarch in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, Archdiocese of North America.

78) His Grace Boules (Pavlos), General Bishop for Evangelism and Mission & Patriarchal Exarch in East and Central Africa.

79) His Grace David, General Bishop and Patriarchal Exarch in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, Archdiocese of North America.

80) His Grace Angaelos, General Bishop and Patriarchal Exarch for the Youth Ministry at the Patriarchal Center and the Coptic Orthodox Theological College at Stevenage, United Kingdom.

Bishop Abbots of the Holy and Sacred Monasteries of the Throne

81) His Grace Sarapamon (Serapis Amon), Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Pishoy in Scetes, Lower Egypt.

82) His Grace Sawiros (Severus), Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of the Most Holy Virgin Mary known as Al Muharraq Monastery, Upper Egypt.

83) His Grace Mattheos (Matthew), Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of the Most Holy Virgin Mary known as the Syrian Monastery, in Scetes, Lower Egypt.

84) His Grace Basilius (Basil), Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor, in El Qualamon Mountain, Upper Egypt.

85) His Grace Yustus (Justus), Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great, in the Eastern Desert.

86) His Grace Isithoros (Isidore), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of the Most Holy Virgin Mary known as the Paromeos (Roman) Monastery, in Scetes, Lower Egypt.

87) His Grace Kyrillos (Cyril), Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Mina, in the Desert of Mariut (Mareotis), Lower Egypt.

88) His Grace Mina, Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint George in El Khatatba, Central Egypt.

89) His Grace Daniel, Bishop & Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite, in the Eastern Desert.

General Bishops of the Throne

90) His Grace Ruweis, General Bishop.

91) His Grace Apakir (Apa Cyrrhus), General Bishop.

General Bishops Administrators of the Bishoprics of the Throne

92) His Grace Moussa (Moses), General Bishop, Administrator for the Bishopric of Youth Affairs.

93) His Grace Dioscorus, General Bishop, Administrator of the Patriarchal Print Shop.

General Bishops Patriarchal Secretary

94) His Grace Botors (Peter), The General Bishop, Personal Secretary of H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Hear of the Aghaby TV Channel and Head of the Patriarchal Secretary at the Patriarchal Residence in Cairo.

95) His Grace Youannes (John), General Bishop, Patriarchal Secretary at the Patriarchal Residence in Cairo.

96) His Grace Armiah (Jeremiah), General Bishop, Patriarchal Secretary at the Patriarchal Residence in Cairo.

Chorbishop

97) His Grace Isaac, Chori-Episcopus.

Patriarchal Vicar for Alexandria

97) The Very Reverend Hegumen Cheroubim the Pachomian, Grand Economos and Patriarchal Vicar in Alexandria.

Vacant Metropolis/Diocese/Abbey

98) His Eminence (Vacant), Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Girga (Thinis).